


The Heavy Heart of Gold

by bethany81707



Series: Stories of Garreg Mach [13]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, Compromise, Flash Fic, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mistaken Identity, New perspectives, Nightmare Fuel, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25333204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethany81707/pseuds/bethany81707
Summary: With most of Edelgard's friends engaged elsewhere, she finds Hilda being the one to have a look at her after a panic attack.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Lysithea von Ordelia
Series: Stories of Garreg Mach [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552720
Kudos: 21





	The Heavy Heart of Gold

Hilda raced into the study, looking around the gigantic mess of the various paperwork that Empress Edelgard was normally so meticulous about putting into stacks based on date, relevant territory and how much she liked the request. To see them scattered all over the place pointed exclusively to foul play, and Hilda started looking for the Empress’s axe.

“Down here!” a scream called. Hilda ran around the desk, not particularly caring about where she stepped, and found a giant pile of crimson armour huddled in a corner. The Empress was in a huddle, holding her legs tightly against her body and looking straight ahead with wide, soulless eyes.

“...You know, I suddenly just realised I have this sudden urge to… eat… no… look, I need to go make up an excuse real bad-” Hilda babbled, backing away from the sight she had stumbled across.

“Adelheid,” Edelgard said, freezing Hilda in place. As much as she was intimidated, she also felt a strange yearning to learn more about the woman positioning herself as her future Empress. Good idea to get the blackmail material early and all that.

“...Yes?” Hilda asked, hoping that would get the right reaction.

“Heidi... you can bust us out of here, right? There are still seven of us…” Edelgard asked. With more to latch onto, Hilda noted immediately that her voice was not the authoritative tone that Edelgard used for everything, but rather a softer voice that hovered between childlike and naive. Hilda had always imagined Edelgard as having been born exactly as bossy as she grew up to become… the idea of a naive Edelgard was crazy.

“Heidi, why aren’t you saying anything?” Edelgard asked. Hilda choked up. Listening in on Edelgard’s childhood nightmare was one thing, but actively participating in it was a line she wasn’t about to cross. She considered leaving, pretending this didn’t happen, only for a vision of Edelgard staying huddled in the corner of this room to occur to her. Yeah, she didn’t have a choice.

“It’ll be all right, Edelgard. It’ll all be over soon,” Hilda said. Edelgard thrashed, and Hilda thought better of trying to touch her shoulder.

“No! No, I won’t allow it! I don’t want to lose any more siblings!” Edelgard screamed. Holst’s sick face appeared in Hilda’s own mind, and she lost her grip.

“Empress!” Hilda said, grabbing Edelgard by the shoulders and shaking.

“Please, leave me alone! I’m a princess of Adrestia, you can’t treat us like this! Why isn’t the goddess doing anything about this? Please, I don’t want to help you, I just want my sisters back! Oh Sothis, oh Fae, oh spirits, there’s no time to be picky!” Edelgard screamed some more, until the hair of both women flying about got sufficiently in her face and she brought up a hand to wipe everything away.

“...Hilda… I-I’m sorry you had to see that…” Edelgard said, in her usual authoritative voice but with very little of her authority.

“...Does Lysithea know?” Hilda asked. She was curious what exactly happened, but she was scared to find out.

“The people that did that to me… they tested it on Lysithea’s family first. Yes, she knows,” Edelgard said. Hilda made to back up, to give Edelgard the space to stand up, but Edelgard’s hand shot up and pulled her back in close. Hilda decided there were worse places to be than by Edelgard’s side right now, and didn’t fight too hard to escape.

“...Are you comfortable talking about it? Or do you just need a person around?” Hilda asked.

“How much did you hear?” Edelgard asked.

“You thought I was Adelheid… and didn’t want to lose any ‘more’ siblings…” Hilda explained. That much was enough for her.

“There were eleven Hresvelgs, Hilda. Eleven promising potential empresses and emperors, even if Mathilde, Magdalene and myself were the only ones with Crests and thus had a shortcut ahead in line. And that… that mess destroyed them all. Some of them died, others had their minds completely broken and were drooling messes. I imagine those ones died when the Agarthans destroyed Enbarr,” Edelgard explained. Yep. Hilda was never getting any sleep again with just the nightmare fuel from that, she didn’t need to know what actually happened to them.

“Will you be all right if it’s me hugging you?” Hilda asked.

“I didn’t think you the type,” Edelgard said.

“I’m lazy, but this is the place I don’t slack off. People need to feel relaxed as possible, and I always did think you overworked yourself. Besides, you’re Lysithea’s special someone, and if I’m looking out for my fellow Deer, I think I can extend that to you,” Hilda said, scooping up Edelgard and plopping her on her lap. Her noodly arms easily picked up the tiny tyrant, despite the muscles on the latter.

“I don’t have a choice, Hilda. If I didn’t do what I did, Arundel would’ve done it for me. But… well, my memory from before that mess is extremely foggy, but according to Hubert, I was just like you as a child,” Edelgard said.

“Me?” Hilda asked. Sure, naive baby Edelgard was one thing, but lazy baby Edelgard?

“Well, I was definitely enthusiastic to learn. But I also liked to relax, to spread my wings a bit, maybe try a little arts and crafts on my own. I’m definitely not good at either now. All I know is amassing the power to fight back against Arundel, and to tear down the Crest system that the nobles who allowed this to happen hid behind to justify themselves in the morning. I can’t imagine myself, growing old with Lysithea and retiring peacefully. If we even have that option,” Edelgard said.

“...Look, we’re at a bit of an impasse right now. Maybe we can do some crafting together? I may not be overly fond of your ‘conquer everything’ plan, but at least I can help you with your ‘happy ending’ plan!” Hilda said, giving Edelgard a good enough smile.


End file.
